Cold frame



Oct. 30, 1951 J. WRITESEL COLD FRAME Filed May 15/1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

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ATTCI RN EYS Patented Oct. 30, 1951 ENT ()FFICE COLD FRAME James L. Writesel, Columbus, Ohio Application May 15, 1946, Serial No. 669,796

This invention relates to hotbed or cold frames and forcers and the primary object of the invention is to provide a device that will protect the contents thereof from rain, snow and bad weather conditions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a I device that is collapsible and can be taken apart for painting or for storage when not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device that will permit adequate ventilation, watering of the plants contained therein and will control the temperature of the framenwithout opening or exposing the plants to the elements or weather.

The invention embraces a device that is constructed to admit ultraviolet rays and combine the advantages and features of cold frame, hotbed and forcer which all prior frames do not facilitate.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists of the novel details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detailed view of the watering trough;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a support for the roof;

Figure 5 is a side view thereof;

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a detailed fragmentary view of the method of attaching the support to the frame;

Figure 8 is an enlarged detailed fragmentary view of the corner construction of the frame;

Figure 9 is an enlarged detailed view of the bottom of one of the frame members;

Figure 10 is a plan view of the cover for the frame;

Figure 11 is an end view of the cover attached to the frame;

Figure 12 is an enlarged perspective detailed.

view of the cover; and

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a latch for the cover.

Referring more in detail to the drawings the reference numeral 20 designates the frame which is comprised of end walls 22 and side walls 24. The side walls along their top edge are inclined 1 Claim. (01. 47-19) so that one end wall is of greater depth than the other end walland the top and bottom marginal edges of the walls are provided with outwardly extending right angular flanges 26.

The walls M at their ends have vertical angle irons 28 secured thereto at 30 to form the corner braces for the frame and each wall at its end is provided with angled vertical flanges 32 which are receivable in the channel shaped coupling 34 whereby the walls are connected together and angle irons 36 are provided along the bottom marginal edges of the walls and have bevelled ends 38 at their meeting point at the corners of the frame.

The angle irons 36 support the plant flats or boxes 38 which contain the soil 46 in which the plants 42 are grown.

Extending longitudinally of and secured to the frame are the watering troughs 44 and the flats at their bottom are provided with apertures 46 to receive the wicks 4B which embedded in the soil 4|] and receiving water from the troughs irrigate the soil as desired and. covers 49 are provided to cover the open ends of the troughs when desired.

The side walls at spaced intervals are provided with slots 50 in the flanges 26 to receive the depending tongues 52 of the slats 54 which extend transversely of the frame to support a roof or cover thereon. The slats having inwardly inclined marginal side flanges 56 which strengthen the slats and prevent the bending thereof.

The side walls are provided with rectangular openings 58 for ventilating the frame and a door 60 having a handle 62 for the manipulation thereof is mounted in trackways 64 secured to the frame at the top and bottom edges of the openings 58 for controlling the opening for ventilation and temperature control.

A roof or cover for the frame is shown in Figum 10 and the cover comprises a metal frame 66 having side members 68 and end members 16 joined at their ends at 12 and transverse strengthening strips 14 are secured to the side members 68. Secured intermediately the side and end members and strips 14 are the flexible ultraviolet ray admitting glass sections 16 which permit the violet rays to penetrate to the plants in the frame.

One of the end members 10 is provided with the depending and inturned flange 18 which is adapted to engage the flange 26 of the corresponding end wall 22 and the opposite end member III is provided with upstanding headed studs which are receivable in the key slot ing, a frame that will accustom plants to their environment without danger of freezing framinclement weather.

A frame which will permit sowing, '30 to 60 days before field sowing, will be advantageous to small gardeners since he can grow more crops on less ground, since by starting his plants in this frame at an early period they can be removed for succeeding settings. He can thus obtain a larger quantity and variety of crops at a smaller cost.

It is believed that the construction operation and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by etters Patent is:

A device of the character described, comprising a collapsible frame, said frame having side and end walls, right angled flanges on the top and bottom marginal edges of said walls, the flanges on the bottom marginal edges adapted for supporting said frame on the ground. a

4 cover engaging the flanges on the top marginal edges, a depending inturned flange on one transverse edge of said cover adapted to engage the flange on one end wall of said frame, channel shaped couplings adapted to engage the flanges on the side walls of the frame and the longitudinal edges of the cover, pivoted latches on said couplings for engaging said last mentioned flanges for attaching said cover to said frame, vertically disposed V-shaped angles fixed to each end of each side and end wall adapted to lie in engagement with each other, a channel shaped member adapted to engage the free edges of the V- shaped angles for holding said frame as a unit, a sliding ventilating door in one of said side walls for ventilating said frame, watering means for said frame extending longitudinally of said end walls and secured to the bottom flanges of said end walls and means coacting with the flange on the top edge of said remainin end wall and the remaining transverse edge of said cover for retaining the cover on the frame against longitudinal movement of the cover with regard to the frame.

JAMES L. WRI'IESEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

